Reward Offered in Family Dog Shooting

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for ­­­­­­­­­­­­­the taking and shooting of a family dog in Sedgwick County, Kansas.

The Case: Deputy Aaron Miller of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a family found their dog with two gunshot wounds on their driveway. Subsequently, the dog was humanely euthanized by a veterinarian due to the extent of the injuries. The Sheriff’s department has no other information on this case. Deputy Fischer is hoping the reward will bring someone forward with information leading to this case.

Animal Cruelty: Getting the serious attention of law enforcement, prosecutors and the community in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the community. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and all manner of other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.

“This is a truly an awful crime,” said Midge Grinstead, the Kansas state director of The Humane Society of the United States. “This dog suffered horribly and the perpetrators were blatant in wanting the dog and the owners to suffer.”

The Investigators: Deputy Scott Fischer of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office at 316-660-5300 or 911. Stephanie McCurdy with the Wichita Crime Commission and Crime Stoppers can also be contacted at 316-267-2111.

Resources: The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty. The HSUS recently doubled its standard cruelty reward from $2,500 to $5,000 thanks to a generous donation from an HSUS board member. To see information on statistics, trends, laws and animal cruelty categories, click here.